Household device with a door hinge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional household appliance door hinges require additional components and increased assembly effort due to separate manufacturing of the window ring and door hinge, leading to higher assembly costs and reduced stability.

Innovation Solution

The door hinge is attached to the window ring by inserting first and second insertion elements into corresponding receiving elements, eliminating the need for additional fasteners and ensuring a stable connection through recesses or sockets, with centering pins for precise alignment and a clamping connection for secure attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the window ring and door hinge are manufactured as separate components and connected by screw or plug connection, then the assembly process becomes more complex and requires additional fasteners, but the manufacturing flexibility is improved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the door hinge directly into the window ring structure, eliminating the need for separate fasteners and reducing assembly complexity. The hinge becomes an inherent part of the window ring component rather than an attached accessory, thereby merging two previously separate components into one unified structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent removes the intermediate fastening elements (screws, plugs, or clips) from the assembly process. By extracting these additional components and replacing them with a direct integration method, the design simplifies the overall structure and reduces the number of parts required for assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If additional fasteners and components are used to attach the door hinge to the window ring, then the connection stability may be improved, but the assembly effort and installation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoidassembly time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By merging the door hinge and window ring into a single integrated component, the patent eliminates the need for separate fastening operations. This reduces assembly time and effort while maintaining connection stability through the unified structure that eliminates potential failure points associated with multiple fasteners.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated design allows the window ring structure itself to provide the hinge function without requiring external fastening mechanisms. The structure serves multiple functions simultaneously, reducing the need for additional components and simplifying the assembly process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Strength

If the door hinge is attached using conventional fastening methods, then the attachment process becomes more complex, but the structural integrity can be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the door hinge and window ring into one integrated component, reducing the total number of parts while maintaining structural integrity. The unified structure eliminates potential weak points at fastener locations and creates a more robust overall design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent removes intermediate fastening components from the assembly, reducing the number of parts that need to be manufactured, inventoried, and assembled. This extraction of unnecessary components simplifies the overall system while the integrated design maintains or improves structural strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3282047B1Household device with a door hinge
Publication Date: 2024.01.31 BSH HAUSGERATE GMBH
  • EP3282047B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3282047B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3282047B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a household appliance (100) with a base body (103), the base body (103) having a base body opening (105), and an appliance door (107) for closing the base body opening (105), the appliance door (107) having a Window ring (109) made of plastic for holding a window (111) and a door hinge (113) for holding the appliance door (107) on the base body (103). The window ring (109) has a first receiving element (123) and a second receiving element (125) for receiving the door hinge (113). The door hinge (113) has a first insertion element (119), which can be inserted into the first receiving element (123), and a second insertion element (131), which can be inserted into the second receiving element (125), in order to rotate the door hinge (113 ) to be attached to the window ring (109).